


Iroquois

by MechBull



Category: The Red Line (TV 2019)
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Emotional Infidelity, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-10-03 22:30:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20460563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MechBull/pseuds/MechBull
Summary: "Do you remember when we first met?""I embarrassingly do not."Prequel fic!





	1. Chapter 1

Liam wondered if it appeared, as it felt like it did, that he was just a child playing dress-up. His tie didn’t seem to be knotted quite right, and the rest of his outfit felt strange. Even though he’d been wearing these kind of clothes for a while now, they still felt weird. Perhaps doubly so because of the new environment. 

He caught a glimpse of himself in the reflection of a trophy case and grimaced. He was pretty sure he barely looked old enough to be a student here. He probably should grow a beard or something, just so people could tell he wasn’t a held-back super-senior.

The principal was walking quickly, and talking even faster, as she led Liam to his classroom, weaving between students as they chatted by their lockers and made their own ways through the hall. He had been a late hire, only weeks before the beginning of the school year. Apparently, the teacher he was replacing had decided she just couldn’t do another year of _Gatsby_ and unexpectedly retired. Which worked out nicely for Liam, because he couldn’t do one more year at the alternative junior high he’d ended up at after graduating. _Shockingly_, an openly gay, Indian, Muslim teacher wasn’t particularly respected there, and none of the students could be convinced that the classics of literature were relevant to their daily lives (they were probably right). The school had never been a good fit for him, but he’d wanted to say in Chicago so he took what he could get. 

Jane Byrne High School, though? He could definitely make a home here. 

They took one more corner and then stopped just outside a classroom. The principal turned to face him.

“Good luck with your first day. If you need anything, let me know.”

Liam barely had enough time to nod and thank her before she was off again and the warning bell rang. The students surrounding him suddenly moved with purposeful direction, some looking curiously at him as they went into his new room. 

“Come on, come on. Time to learn,” a voice called out down the hall.

Liam looked up, trying to spot the speaker. He was standing outside the door to the room at the far end, waving his arm in a large circle to guide students into the room. He was older than Liam by a few years and – well, quite frankly, attractive. Liam stared perhaps a little bit longer than he should, and soon only a few stragglers were left in the hall. The teacher that had caught his attention looked in Liam’s direction, and he immediately turned away, walking into the room and hoping he hadn’t been caught checking him out.

**

U.S. history last period was already Daniel’s favorite class that year. Not that he was supposed to have favorites, of course, but any teacher who claimed they didn’t was lying. He wondered if that was true for parents too; it definitely was for his folks, of course, but that was probably because his brother was a lawyer with a beautiful wife and two-point-five kids and the white picket fence and everything he was supposed to have. Meanwhile, Daniel was the one who taught history at a public high school and went home to live in sin with a Black not-really-his-husband and Black not-really-his-daughter. Perhaps he was just a touch bitter, but really it was their loss not to have a relationship with him and Harrison and Jira. He was perfectly happy with his life.

Anyway. Teaching. The students were working quietly, looking up details on their assigned Native American topics. They’d present next week. One of the tricks Daniel learned very early on was to have students do the teaching. Certainly, he’d correct misinformation, but they learned better this way and he didn’t have to do as much prep work. It had been a particularly necessary strategy when Jira was a baby and didn’t sleep through the night, which meant Daniel didn’t either.

He was strolling around the room, checking on the small clusters of students and glancing at the clock occasionally. He stopped by the group in the corner and watched them work for a while. 

“How’s it going?”

The students looked at each other, all clearly hoping someone else would be the one forced to interact with the teacher. Finally, Derek Foster, who was more of a brown-noser than a brain, spoke up. “Good. The Iroquois are _quite_ fascinating.”

Daniel cringed at the horribly inaccurate pronunciation, complete with an audible _s_. “Iroquois,” he corrected, before launching into an explanation of the name. He didn’t get through the whole thing, however, before the bell rang. 

The students all packed up, only half-paying attention to his instructions spoken loudly over the commotion of chairs being pushed back and zippers being pulled shut. Soon, however, all the students were gone and Daniel was left alone. He sighed, closing his eyes briefly, as he acknowledged that he made it through another day.

He always wondered if students realized that teachers were happier for weekends and school holidays than they were.

“Hi.”

A voice interrupted Daniel from his thoughts and he turned quickly. He recognized the man standing in the doorway, of course. The new English teacher. He was pretty sure it was Something Bhatt. He had seen him once before on the first day of class. He was younger, but not a brand-new teacher. Daniel noticed he’d started to grow a beard. It suited him. 

“Hello,” he replied, blinking and lifting his head a bit when he realized he’d been checking him out. 

“Thought I’d introduce myself,” the guy said, walking further into the room. “Liam Bhatt.”

“New English teacher,” Daniel said, for lack of something better. The man smiled and nodded, taking his hand to shake it. “I’m Daniel Calder. Nice to meet you.” 

Liam swallowed, smiling softly, letting his hand linger in Daniel’s a bit. Daniel wondered if it was intentional, or perhaps just his imagination. Once they let go, he stepped back, feeling the need to put some distance between them. He stretched the fingers of his right hand out involuntarily, as if he were trying to clear away the sensation of Liam’s hand. He couldn’t help but notice the way Liam’s gaze dropped down to look at the gesture.

**

The dip of the mattress half-woke Daniel. Harrison stretched out next to him, immediately spooning him and letting one hand rest on top of Daniel’s. Daniel moaned a greeting, nothing at all understandable. Harrison kissed the back of his neck, then sighed, the puff of air blowing through Daniel’s hair.

“Time is it?” he mumbled.

“One. Go back to sleep.”

“Check on Jira?”

“She’s out. You should be too.”

“How was your shift?”

“Fine. Why are you still talking?”

Daniel moaned, turning over to face Harrison. He wrapped his arms around him in a hug and snuggled closer, pressing his lips to Harrison’s neck in a half-kiss. “’m not,” he replied. “’m sleeping.”

Harrison rubbed his hand up and down Daniel’s back, ending up on his neck where he squeezed a quick massage. Daniel hummed appreciatively. 

“How was your day?” 

“_Ngh_. Summer yet?”

Harrison chuckled, tilting his head to kiss Daniel’s brow. 

“Met the _fetus_ they hired in the English department.”

“Hmm.”

“This weekend, you wanna take Jira to – ” Daniel’s question came to an abrupt end as he yawned.

“_Go to sleep_.”

“’K,” he agreed. “Love you.”

“Love you too.”

The statement was one thing, of course. But Daniel really knew it was true when he woke up to get Jira ready for school and discovered Harrison had programmed the coffee machine with his favorite roast.

**

“Here, take this food home.”

“It’s OK, Mom.”

Liam barely got the protest out before she was forcing the Tupperware into his hands. She then pulled him down for a kiss. Family dinners always ended this way, so he didn’t know why he bothered objecting. Next she’d whisper in his ear – 

“Are you seeing anyone?” 

“No.”

“If you are, you should bring him here. We would want to meet him, you know.”

“I’m not seeing anyone, Mom.”

She’d sigh, kiss him again and let him go then. It was an almost comforting routine, even if it had taken them a long time to get there. Sometimes he wondered how she’d really react if he ever did bring someone home to meet them. She had accepted his being gay in theory, but he had never really put it to the test. 

But who would he bring anyway? There was no one in his life, and he didn’t expect that to change any time soon, unattainable crushes aside.

**

“Hey.”

The little thrill that one word gave him was a bit sad, honestly. Liam looked up from his papers, already more than willing to ignore them in favor of a conversation, no matter how brief it might be. Besides, he didn’t have to teach the last period that day, so he had more than enough time for a little break. 

“Hi, Daniel,” he replied, unable to stop his smile. 

Unfortunately, Daniel looked more harried than anything else, like his head was definitely not in the room with the rest of his body. 

“This is your prep hour, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Can I ask you a huge favor?” 

“What is it?”

“My daughter’s sick. I have to go pick her up. Can you cover my class? They’ve got an exam, so just make sure they don’t cheat.”

Liam nodded, standing up for some reason. He placed his hands on his hips because he didn’t know what else to do with them.

“Of course.”

“Thanks,” Daniel said, walking closer and holding out a stack of papers. “I’ll make it up to you.”

Liam inhaled, closing his eyes briefly. Some part of him wanted to read into that, but considering the reason why Daniel owed him one, it was even more of a cruel joke than it would have been otherwise.

“I didn’t know you had a daughter,” he blurted, even as he reached out for the exams. He tried not to shudder at the way Daniel’s hand brushed against his in the exchange. 

“Hmm? Yeah, Jira. She’s almost 12.”

Liam nodded, forcing a smile. It was bad enough he was lusting after a presumably straight colleague, but it turned out he had a kid and probably a partner too. 

“Well, I hope she feels better.”

“Sounds like just an upset stomach.”

Liam shrugged. “Still rough.”

“Seriously, I owe you one,” Daniel said, turning away and walking out of the room. 

“Bring me a coffee Monday, we’ll call it even,” Liam called out, maybe only half-joking. It was a way to guarantee their next interaction, at any rate. 

Daniel stopped by the door, smiling over his shoulder at Liam. “Deal.”

Once he was out of sight, Liam exhaled slowly, staring down at the exams in his hand and feeling ridiculous. Feeling like _he_ was the one in high school again, crushing on the cool senior who had no interest in him for more than one reason. Only the ringing of the bell broke him out of his head. Cursing quietly to himself, he rushed out of the room to go administer Daniel’s exam. And while the students wrote, he mentally rearranged his weekend so he could actually do the work he should have done that hour. A small price to pay to help Daniel out, he supposed.

**

It was Daniel’s first cup of coffee of the day, because between Harrison’s cup and Jira’s cereal, they’d finished off the milk. So, he took a moment to inhale the aroma and savor the first sip before pouring a second mug. He carefully carried them both out of the teacher’s lounge, watching them warily as the liquid sloshed near the rims. But he made it to Liam’s classroom without burning himself or dropping anything, which felt like quite the victory.

No one was there to celebrate it with him, however. Daniel looked around the empty classroom for a moment, wondering if he should just leave the cup on the desk. He couldn’t quite convince himself to do so, though, as he’d been looking forward to a little chat before the start of the school day.

“Right behind you.”

Although the statement startled Daniel, it thankfully wasn’t enough to make him spill the coffee. He stepped carefully to the side, even as he turned. He wished Liam a good morning as he walked past him. Daniel also took a moment to admire the leather jacket he wore. 

It was a fine piece of apparel, was all.

“Is that my coffee?” Liam asked, dropping his bag on the desk before walking back towards Daniel. “Please say yes.”

“Yes,” Daniel confirmed, holding out the extra mug with a grin. “I wasn’t sure how you took it.”

“Black as a Disney villain’s heart.”

Daniel smiled, watching as Liam took a drink, his eyes closing in pleasure. “Mmm, perfect,” he commented. Then he seemed to focus a bit more. “How’s your daughter? Jira, right?”

“She’s fine, thanks,” Daniel responded. He started to wander around the room a bit, reading the motivational posters. He wasn’t sure why exactly, but he felt a bit nervous. Probably because he didn’t normally talk about his personal life with his colleagues. Things weren’t as bad as they used to be, of course, and he was out at work. But it still felt weird. “Ninety percent Friday-itis, I think. Daddy took care of the other ten percent.”

“She just wanted to spend time with you, huh?” Liam asked, smiling. 

“No, I mean – my partner. Harrison’s a doctor.”

**

Daniel’s statement came as a bit of a surprise, and it took Liam a moment to force a response. “Oh,” he finally said.

Daniel glanced at him before looking away again, returning his gaze to one of the posters on the wall. Liam wondered if his response accidentally came off as homophobic. His speechlessness had nothing to do with that, of course, but Daniel might not realize that.

Mostly, he was realizing that the attraction he had been feeling, indeed some of the fantasies he’d indulged in, hadn’t been that pathetic after all. Of course, it didn’t actually change anything. Daniel was still in a relationship, even if it was with a man. 

He struggled for something to say, if nothing else to relieve some of the sudden tension between them. But the bell rang before he could. Daniel pointed a thumb over his shoulder to indicate he had to leave. 

Liam nodded. “I’ll get the coffee tomorrow,” he said quickly, not wanting to lose the opportunity. “How do you take it?”

“I like mine brown and just a little sweet.”

He tried to convince himself that wasn’t flirtatious but couldn’t quite stop the bashful laugh it produced. Daniel nodded goodbye, stepping out into the hall but hanging onto eye contact until the last possible moment. He cleared the door just as the first students began to arrive. 

Liam walked back to his desk, standing behind it and facing the board as he tried to calm down a bit. There had been no flirting, he repeated to himself. It was all in his head, and it had to stop. Daniel had a partner and a child. Maybe Liam would need a bit of time to get over his crush, even more now that he knew Daniel actually liked men. He couldn’t control how he felt, but he could control how he acted, and he wasn’t going to be someone who – 

Daniel could and would be his friend, and nothing more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story required an interesting balancing act between multiple headcanons (that I think are pretty well supported by the show): that H&D loved each other but their marriage wasn't perfectly happy all the time, that D was much more _aware_ of L than he let on or even probably admitted to himself (but he would never have actually acted on it), and that D&L were good "work friends" but not particularly close - or maybe held each other at a distance - before the shooting. I focus primarily on the D&L relationship in this, but I didn't want to disrespect or diminish the D&H one. I hope that all comes across!


	2. Chapter 2

By Thanksgiving, they had developed a well-refined routine. Whose turn it was to get coffee was down to a science, and Liam had figured out the perfect cream to sugar ratio for Daniel. On some occasions, Daniel would bring Liam a couple of the chocolate chip cookies he baked with Jira, and other times, Liam would share the leftovers he got from his mother. And most afternoons, Daniel would linger in Liam’s classroom while he packed up and they’d walk out together. 

They weren’t _friends_, really. At least not the sort of friends that Liam was used to. They never went out for a drink after work, for example, or to a movie or to a game. They rarely texted and really only had each other’s phone numbers in case of emergency. Even most of their conversations were fairly superficial, inquiring about weekend plans or complaining about students. 

But Liam savored those moments anyway. It was nice to have someone that brightened his day and made him smile. 

And perhaps nothing made him smile more than walking into Daniel’s room after the last class of the last day before Thanksgiving break. There were no students left, but there was someone sitting in one of the desks. Her frizzy hair fell into her eyes and her mouth pursed into a thin line of concentration as she carefully colored inside the lines of her coloring book.

“Hello,” Liam said. 

Daniel looked up from his own desk, where he was apparently doing some pre-vacation organizing, and offered him a quick smile before returning to his task. And the girl also looked at him, somewhat suspiciously. She watched him for two or three seconds before focusing on her colored pencils again, picking up a red one. 

“You must be Jira,” Liam said, as he walked over to the desk in front of hers. He sat down at an angle, turning so he could face her. “I’m Liam.”

“Mr. Bhatt,” Daniel corrected, not even bothering to look up. “Teachers don’t have first names.”

Liam made a _whoops_ face at Jira, even as he tried not to laugh. 

Jira sighed. “I’m in trouble because I called the student teacher by her first name, even though she _told_ us to.”

The whole not laughing thing became harder. Jira seemed incredibly annoyed, but Daniel didn’t rise to the bait, so she continued to complain.

“I don’t think it’s fair that teachers call me by my first name, but I have to call them Mr. or Mrs. or whatever.”

Liam nodded, aiming for serious and thoughtful. “I agree,” he finally said. “Would you like me to call you…Miss Calder?”

“Miss Calder-Brennan!” Jira replied, laughing. 

“Oh no! Too many syllables,” Liam objected, making her giggle harder. “I’ll never remember that. Can we compromise with Miss Jira?”

She tilted her head and put on a show of thinking it over. She nodded once, decisively. “OK.” 

She held out her hand and Liam shook it. 

“What are you coloring, Miss Jira?” he asked, changing the subject.

She slid the book closer to him, and Liam was rather surprised to discover the red crayon had been used to shade in what appeared to be a diagram of the muscular system. 

“Um…” He twisted to look at Daniel, who had stopped whatever he was working on and was just watching the two of them. He held one hand out, closed his eyes, and shook his head. 

“I’m going to be a doctor like my Dad,” Jira said. 

“I see,” Liam replied. The adoration in her voice from just mentioning him made Liam feel – well, some kind of way. 

But he didn’t have time to reflect on that reaction much. Daniel was suddenly standing, placing his materials in his bag and telling Jira to pack up as well. Liam stood, moving off to the side and watching as they got ready to leave. He probably should go too, get out of their way and head home. But he felt somewhat entranced as Daniel placed a hand on Jira’s shoulder and guided her towards the door. He followed them out to the hall and then walked towards his own room. 

“Happy Thanksgiving,” he said before they parted for four days. 

Daniel nodded at him and smiled. 

“Happy Thanksgiving, Mr. Bhatt!” Jira shouted.

With a laugh, Liam added, “Happy Thanksgiving, Miss Jira!”

**

Daniel sighed, cracking his neck to the side as he walked back into his classroom. The staff holiday party had just wrapped up, and now he was going home for two whole weeks off. He couldn’t wait.

“Hey.”

He turned in surprise at the sound of Liam’s voice. They hadn’t had much of a chance to talk at the party, as Liam had been stuck in a corner with Cassie from the math department and Daniel was roped into handing out the Secret Santa gifts. By some stroke of luck, he had Liam that year and was able to buy a gift he knew the recipient would actually like – a special brew of tea and some spices that Liam always raved about _and_ was within the gift price limits. Well, almost. The knowing glance confirmed to Daniel that Liam knew he’d gone a _bit_ over. 

“Ready for break?” Liam asked as he walked farther into the room.

“Mentally, I’m already at home blasting carols and drinking wine.” 

Liam laughed, nodding in agreement. “So…I wanted to give you these,” he said, suddenly holding out two gifts. 

“What…?” Daniel shot him a confused look even as he took the wrapped packages.

Liam shrugged. “I know you’re not my Secret Santa,” he said, somewhat teasing. “Just wanted to. Ah, the smaller one’s for you and the big one’s for Jira. I – I didn’t know what Harrison…would like.”

Daniel was touched, more so that Liam had thought of his family than him. He set the other gift on a nearby desk and turned his around to find the seam in the wrapping paper. After tearing it open, he was even more touched. It was a book he had read a review about ages ago and just happened to mention to Liam. He was surprised he even remembered, and he thanked him sincerely.

“Yeah, I hope you like it,” Liam said, tugging at his ear. “Um, Jira – hers is a science kit. She can do real experiments, I guess.”

“She’ll love it, I’m sure,” Daniel said, grinning. 

They stared at each other for a while, and Daniel felt an undeniable pull towards Liam, but one that he’d never admit to. After a moment, he shook his head at himself and stepped closer, hugging Liam quickly. 

“Ah, Merry Christmas,” Liam said, backing away and immediately turning toward the door, appearing for all the world like he was too nervous to stick around. Daniel forced away the odd impression. 

“Merry Christmas,” he got out just before Liam disappeared from sight.

**

The beep of his phone woke Daniel up, and he breathed deeply as he rubbed his free hand down his face. His other arm was stuck under Jira where she leaned against his chest. She had begged so pitifully to be allowed to stay up and see the ball drop. But apparently neither of them had made it.

Daniel reached out, fumbling for his phone for a moment before picking it up. As he suspected, the message was from Harrison, and the _*kiss*_ made him laugh. He hadn’t worked on Christmas for the first time since Jira was a baby, but in order to get it, he had to work New Year’s. Daniel wondered if he’d ever be senior enough to get both off in the same year.

He sent a quick _XOXO_ back, then shifted Jira enough so he could slip out from under her. She moaned softly but gave no indication that she was actually waking up. He leaned over, sliding his hands back under her to get a good grip, then lifted. She was completely dead weight and the stairs up to her room were a little precarious. Daniel admitted to himself that she was getting a little too big to be carrying around like this, and he probably dropped her onto her bed more than he lovingly placed her on it. Not that she even noticed. She just snuffled and turned to her side. He had been smart enough to insist she put on her pjs earlier in the night, so he just pulled the sheets over her and gave her a kiss before leaving the room.

When he made it to his own room, he pulled off his clothes until he was just in his underwear. He threw them in the general direction of the hamper, dragged the comforter and sheets down and collapsed onto the mattress.

The very next thing he was aware of was the feel of a body against his and lips pressing between his shoulder blades. Daniel sighed in pleasure and turned around. Harrison backed up just enough to give him room and then lowered down again.

“Happy New Year,” Harrison murmured before kissing him properly. 

Daniel lifted a hand, placing his fingers along Harrison’s jaw and running his thumb over his lower lip. 

“How was work?”

“Busy. Long.”

“Too many drunks?”

“Mmm. Gotta love the holidays.”

Daniel flashed a quick smile, even as his eyes drifted closed. 

“How long did Jira last?”

He shook his head. “Not sure. We were both out by the time you texted.”

“So,” Harrison said, somewhat leadingly, dropping a kiss just behind Daniel’s ear. “What you’re saying” – a kiss to his jaw – “is you’re pretty well-rested.” Another to his chin.

Daniel chuckled. “Keep that up and I’ll get my second wind.”

The next kiss was full on his lips. Daniel lifted his arms, wrapping them around Harrison to pull him closer.

**

“Pick one, honey.” Jira turned to look at him, clearly preparing to beg for more. “One,” he stressed before she could.

She faced the stuffed animal rack again, and Daniel turned away. He spotted Harrison by the t-shirts and walked over to join him. 

“Should we get her one of these too?” Harrison asked. 

Daniel shrugged. He looked around the gift shop, taking in the abundant supply of Looney Tunes merchandise. Jira was finally tall enough to ride most of the roller coasters at Great America, and it was about all they could plan for the week of spring break since Harrison wasn’t able to get off. Maybe he’d take her to the aquarium in a couple days, just to do something sort of educational too. It’d have to do. But he couldn’t help but want more. Daniel hadn’t been on a real spring break trip since college. 

He glanced over his shoulder to make sure she was out of earshot. No point in getting her hopes up too early. 

“Maybe next year we could go to Florida,” he suggested. “Disney, the beach, Cape Canaveral…”

Harrison shrugged. “Maybe,” he agreed. 

The response was noncommittal and Daniel could tell it wasn’t going to be something that Harrison prioritized, if he even remembered. He sighed and turned away, strolling towards the row of coffee mugs, vaguely thinking about getting Liam one. His eye kept getting drawn to one with Pepé Le Pew making the moves on that poor cat, but he knew that wasn’t quite…appropriate. Before he could grab any of them, however, Jira bounded over with a stuffed Tweety and Harrison joined them, a few shirts draped over his arm.

“You don’t have enough coffee mugs?” Harrison asked. 

Daniel shrugged. “I guess.” 

They were too overpriced to justify getting one. And he didn’t really have any good reason for getting Liam a gift, anyway.

**

“Ugh, finally,” Daniel observed, tilting his head from side to side as they walked down the stairs.

“I survived my first year,” Liam observed, only half-joking. He laughed when Daniel pumped his fist and offered a soft _whoo-hoo_.

“Any exciting plans for the summer?” 

Daniel asked the question just as they stopped at the edge of the sidewalk. He’d have to turn one way to get to the L, and Liam would go the other way to the staff parking lot where his car waited. Liam wasn’t ready to say goodbye yet. The summer loomed in front of them, and their hesitation made him realize that it would most likely be a couple months before he saw Daniel again. He wanted to get as much of him now as he could. He shrugged a response to stall for time. 

“Some friends want to do a road trip,” he finally said. “I haven’t quite decided if I want to go. One of the guys is an ex, which could make things awkward.”

Daniel nodded, shooting him a look at the reference to Joel that Liam wanted to pretend meant more than it did. He inhaled, talking faster to get past the odd moment. “What about you?”

He looked away then, a small smile on his face. “I’m getting married.”

Liam felt like someone could knock him over with a feather. He had never realized before how sudden heartbreak could cause actual, physical pain. 

“What?” he asked, barely above a whisper. 

Daniel shrugged, shaking his head. He still was looking off to the distance rather than making eye contact. “State law has gone into effect. So, Harrison suggested we make it official too. Jira’s thrilled.” 

“Oh.” He couldn’t really manage to say anything else. 

“It’s going to be small,” Daniel continued, crossing his arms over his chest and looking down at his feet as he toed at a loose rock. “No guests outside of a couple close friends for witnesses. So…”

He sounded apologetic, as if he was trying to explain why this was the first Liam was hearing about it and he felt bad that he couldn’t invite him. As if Liam would have wanted to go. Liam shook his head quickly. 

“Congratulations,” he forced out, hoping it sounded normal and sincere. 

There wasn’t much more said after that – a few more pleasantries and well wishes, a hesitant goodbye, and soon, Liam was sitting in the driver’s seat of his car. He couldn’t really remember how he got there, honestly, but he was thankful to be alone.

“Fuck,” he said aloud to the empty car. 

He didn’t know why he was upset by this. It’s not like this news affected anything. Nothing had changed. Daniel was still not his, would never be his, formally married or not. But the justifications and the reminders didn’t help. At the first sob, Liam lifted his hand to his mouth in the hopes of smothering the sounds. He leaned forward, resting his other arm against the steering wheel and letting his forehead drop on top of it. His shoulders shook with each unsteady, heaving breath. 

He wasn’t sure how long he cried before he started to calm. Sitting up straight, he wiped at his face to clear away the tears. 

“Fuck,” he said again, voice raw and croaky. 

Part of him wondered whether he should start looking at job listings again, find something new for next year, start fresh. Would never seeing him at all be worse than this?


	3. Chapter 3

“Jira, five minutes! Get a move on!”

“OK, I _know_!” 

Daniel cringed at the sound of Jira’s bathroom door slamming shut. Sometime over the summer, his precious little girl was stolen and replaced by a snotty teen who pushed back on him about everything. He sighed, then focused on his reflection in the mirror. He took a moment to push a few strands of hair into place, then leaned over to grab his bag. 

It was the first day of the school year, and they were already off to a rough start. Jira (and Daniel, if he were honest) was pissed because Harrison wasn’t there for their traditional First Day Breakfast. Instead, he was on week three of a four-week CME program. When they had talked about it, Daniel hadn’t quite understood that it would mean such long shifts, but he supposed it _was_ unavoidable.

Daniel trudged down the stairs, stopping to wait by the front door. He stretched his arm out, getting his wrist past the sleeve so he could look at his watch. He suppressed a small sound of frustration when he saw the time. 

“We’re going to miss the train!” he yelled up to his daughter.

A few moments later, she came running down, pounding down each step unnecessarily hard, but Daniel chose to fight his battles. 

“I’m coming right now, God.” 

Daniel sighed, closing his eyes for a brief moment to try to calm and center himself. Without a word, he followed Jira out the door, closing it behind them. They made it to the stop in the nick of time, and for the first time, Jira did not sit next to him. It hurt his feelings more than he’d admit when she sat down a few rows away. And it damn near broke his heart when she stood for the stop next to the middle school, gave him a _look_, and gestured that he shouldn’t come with her. 

“Bye Dad!” she said over her shoulder. 

“Bye,” he replied, lowering into his seat again. “Love you,” he muttered quietly. 

He remained in a funk the rest of his commute, only starting to feel more human as he walked towards the teacher’s lounge. He entered the room, which was empty at the moment, and he focused on the coffee station. Another hit of caffeine and he might salvage the morning. He crossed the room in two large steps, grabbed a mug off the shelf and started pouring. 

“Save some for the rest of us.”

Daniel didn’t spill, but it was a close one. He twisted to grin over his shoulder in greeting before quickly focusing on his actions again. The cup was full now, so he put it on the counter and placed the pot back where it belonged, turning to direct his whole attention to the new arrival.

“Hi!” he said, perhaps more enthusiastically than he’d intended.

“Morning, Daniel,” Liam replied, stepping up next to him. 

After a moment’s hesitation, they gave each other a quick hug, separating again somewhat awkwardly. They’d never been particularly affectionate with each other before, hadn’t even hugged goodbye the last day before summer. But it had been a long time since they’d seen each other, so it seemed right to…acknowledge…it somehow.

**

Two minutes into the interaction, and Liam remembered why he should have left the school and why he couldn’t leave. Somehow, Daniel looked better and smelled better than his memories over the summer captured. He knew he was standing closer than was really appropriate, and he knew the hug that he initiated was a bit out of line, but he couldn’t help it. And he couldn’t help but notice that Daniel wasn’t putting distance between them either.

“Coffee?” Daniel asked.

“Please.”

He forced himself to move then, stepping to the side but not as far away as he perhaps should have. Liam watched as Daniel grabbed another mug from the shelf. He poured the cup, returned the pot to the machine, and picked up his drink as well. He stepped over, closing the gap between them again, and held the mug out. When Liam took it, their fingers touched, and Liam could have sworn he felt a spark. Static electricity, maybe.

He swallowed thickly, deciding suddenly to test something. He moved again, crossing to the counter along the side wall and leaning back against it. He hooked his free hand around the edge of the counter and looked up at Daniel, waiting.

It only took two and a half seconds for him to start moving again, and only a little bit after that to end up next to Liam. His own hand reached up to grab the counter just next to Liam’s, close enough that their pinkies almost touched. It was like there were a magnetic pull between them and Daniel couldn’t stay away. Liam didn’t want him to. And that was the problem. Because next to that pinky of Daniel’s was another finger with a new piece of jewelry.

“How was the wedding?” Liam asked, either in some form of self-sabotage or to remind himself he wasn’t going to go down that road again this year.

Daniel nodded, looking straight ahead. “Fine, good,” he replied, killing the little tiny sliver of hope Liam had clung to the last few months that they wouldn’t go through with it after all. “And you? Did you go on that road trip you mentioned?”

“Mm-hmm,” Liam confirmed. “It was fun.”

“Even with your ex?”

“Ah,” Liam laughed uncomfortably as he stalled for time. Truth was, he had ended up sharing a hotel room with Joel and not just as a cost-cutting measure. They were not _dating_, because they already knew that wouldn’t work, but they did remember – after two or three days of awkward, strained conversation – just how good the physical side of their relationship had been.

At any rate, it had been a nice distraction for Liam, preventing him from spending too much time obsessing over how Daniel’s wedding plans were going. 

“Yeah,” he finally said. “No problems there.”

Maybe the tone of his voice gave him away, or maybe it was the blush that rose to his face, or something else entirely. At any rate, Daniel gave him a suspicious glance, but thankfully he didn’t have a chance to say anything before the warning bell rang. Liam pushed off the counter, drained the last of his coffee from the mug and placed it in the sink.

“Well…nice to see you again, Daniel,” he said. 

“Yeah,” he agreed. “Yeah, have a good first day.”

They stared at each other for one or two beats more, Liam feeling a bit self-conscious. Finally, he cleared his throat, looked down at the ground briefly, then headed out. He stopped at the door to turn and get one more glimpse of Daniel.

He had missed him so much. _Just friends_ was definitely better than never seeing him again. He couldn’t regret staying, no matter how much it hurt.

**

Daniel tried to hold Jira’s hand as they worked their way through the crowd to get to the auditorium for the high school’s winter play, but she shook him off quickly. He sighed, and then felt Harrison’s eyes on him.

“What?”

“She knows her way through this school,” Harrison reminded him gently. 

“I’m just trying to keep all of us together.”

“She has her ticket. We have assigned seats.”

“Just – never mind.”

Harrison made a sympathetic, if slightly mocking, noise, and reached out to hold Daniel’s hand. “I still like to do this.”

Daniel glanced at him, touched and a little embarrassed by the flirtation even after all these years. But before he could respond, he heard a familiar voice call out.

“Hey, Miss Jira, how are you?”

Ahead of them, past two more small groups of people, Jira lit up as she focused on Liam. “Hi Mr. Bhatt,” she responded enthusiastically.

Harrison snorted. “I think someone has a crush. Who is that?”

“Liam Bhatt,” Daniel replied quickly, a strange hot-and-cold flush rushing through him. He sensed Harrison look at him in response, and although he didn’t return the gaze, he knew Harrison’s expression was suddenly suspicious or knowing or both. “English teacher. I’ve talked about him.”

“Hmm,” was Harrison’s only reply. 

They caught up with the other two, and Daniel nodded a greeting. He introduced Liam and Harrison, feeling…some kind of way…as they shook hands. They exchanged pleasantries, both occasionally looking at Daniel, who found it impossible to chime in. He sent up thanks when the lights flashed and the audience began to move to their seats. 

He hoped that was it, and it was – until they were home. It was late, and they sent Jira to bed immediately. Daniel followed Harrison into their own room, trying to ignore the silence. He sat on the edge of the bed, lifting his foot to pull off his sock. Harrison walked over to the closet, removing his jacket to hang up. 

After a moment, Harrison finally spoke, “He’s cute.”

“Who?” Daniel asked, standing and tossing the socks into the hamper. He walked over towards Harrison, focusing on his cuffs because he knew his feigned ignorance was unconvincing. Harrison chose not to respond, and Daniel looked up. He shrugged, shaking his head. “Is he?”

Harrison rolled his eyes, holding his hand out until Daniel accepted the help. He took Daniel’s wrist and began to work on the buttons. 

“Do I have anything to worry about?” Harrison asked. 

Daniel scoffed. “Of course not.” He punctuated the statement by holding his other hand out to Harrison, touching his thumb to his wedding ring before turning his wrist so Harrison could reach the button. 

“I preferred the previous English teacher.”

“You mean Mrs. Jenkins?” Daniel asked, smiling softly. “The 60-year-old cat lady?”

“She was great.”

With a sharply exhaled laugh, Daniel stepped closer, running a finger down Harrison’s chest. “_You’re_ cute.”

They held eye contact for a moment, until a small smile grew on Harrison’s face. “Let’s get you out of these clothes and into bed. It’s late.” 

“Whatever you say, Dr. Brennan,” Daniel replied, chuckling as Harrison reached one hand to the collar of his shirt and wrapped the other around his waist to pull him closer.

**

After things fizzled out with Joel again, Liam had decided to take a break from dating. He wasn’t a great catch at the moment, to be honest. No one wanted to waste their time on someone hung up on another guy, after all.

That decision lasted all of a couple months, until he reminded himself that it wasn’t like he had to marry someone just because he went out with him. Basically, he was lonely. And he wanted – well, not a distraction, exactly. Just…he didn’t want to spend every weekend at home alone, thinking about how very single he was and wondering what Daniel was doing and counting down the minutes until Monday morning when he saw him again.

It was borderline obsession, and he had to stop. So, he did. He lived in the gayborhood for a reason, after all, and it was time to take advantage of that fact. He met some guys at coffee shops and others at bars, one memorable guy in the park when he decided to take up running (neither the running nor the guy lasted long), another at an art show, and so on. They were all different, ranges of ages and body types and races and occupations. Some closeted, some extremely out. He went out with all them, kissed some of them, and went home with more than he probably should have but fewer than had offered. 

He even really liked one or two of them. But just when he was starting to feel like he had beat it, like he could think of Daniel as a friendly colleague and nothing more, like he had drawn a line between his personal life and everything else…he saw Harrison at the school again. 

It was just an average spring morning, nothing special. Liam was on door duty, and he was leaning against the railing of the front steps, encouraging students to go inside to their lockers rather than hang around outside. There was only about a minute left before the warning bell when Liam spotted Daniel and Harrison coming closer. He steeled himself, but it turned out not to be necessary. They were still a good distance away when they stopped, leaned in to kiss each other, and separated. Harrison continued on, while Daniel came closer. 

“Morning,” Liam greeted, once Daniel started up the stairs.

“Hi Liam,” Daniel replied, with a friendly nod. 

“Ah, what…” He trailed off, not sure how to end that question without sounding too nosy or overinvested. Ultimately, he shrugged, tilting his head in the direction Harrison had gone.

“Oh, he’s going to the car rental down the street. We’ve decided to go out of town this weekend.”

“Taking Jira somewhere fun?” Liam asked, aiming for a pleasantly curious tone. 

“No, no. We’re leaving her with some friends. Adults only,” Daniel joked, raising his eyebrows in a slight waggle. He grinned, clearly incredibly happy with the prospect, and continued towards the front door. “See you in a few.”

“Don’t forget the coffee,” Liam forced out. 

As soon as Daniel was inside, Liam wrapped his arms around his waist and stared at his feet, feeling sick to his stomach. 

So much for trying to move on.

**

“God, that year flew,” Liam observed, dragging his feet as he walked down the stairs.

“Each one feels faster than the last,” Daniel agreed. “But I am completely ready for summer.”

Liam nodded. He definitely needed a break, from teaching and from Daniel. He was desperate for some time apart, as much as he was dreading it. 

They stopped walking at the feet of the steps, leaving Liam with an uncanny sense of déjà vu. After staring at each other for a moment, they eventually breathed out quick laughs, and moved closer simultaneously for a hug. 

“Take care,” Daniel told him. “And you have my number; text me sometime.”

Liam nodded, not certain he could speak. 

He typed out four or five messages that summer, finally managing to send one halfway through July. Daniel didn’t reply until the evening, his message as innocuous and innocent as the one Liam had sent, but the nausea-inducing excitement Liam felt all day was enough to make him avoid sending any more texts until just before the new year, when he could pass it off as work-related.


	4. Chapter 4

“No. No! That’s not how it goes, Dad.”

Daniel blew out a breath slowly, trying to stay calm. The science fair started in a few moments, and Jira’s model of the circulatory system had been damaged on the L as they brought it in. She had spent weeks working on it, not letting Harrison help at all because she wanted to surprise him with it. And of course, rightfully not letting Daniel try to help either, no matter how much he would have liked to. Even now, his attempts to fix the issues were not going well. He taught history, not biology, after all, and it had been a long time since any science classes. 

But Harrison wasn’t there yet, and so Daniel was doing the best he could. Judging by Jira’s frustration, his best wasn’t all that great. 

“Punchkin, calm down,” Daniel muttered. “It’s going to be fine.” 

Eventually, the model was back to the way Jira wanted it and she relaxed – a bit. The room was starting to fill with students and parents, siblings and other relatives, friends and teachers. Two booths down, Jira’s friend Riley (and he was curious to see if, when and how Riley might acknowledge certain things in the years to come) had set up as well. And at the end of the room was a table of refreshments. Considering Jira was starting to bounce nervously each time an entering group turned out not to include Harrison, Daniel needed a break.

“Want something to drink, Jira?”

“No,” she said tersely.

With a sigh, Daniel walked away, heading straight for the punch and wishing unrealistically that someone had spiked it. He grabbed a cup and took the long way back, sipping slowly. By the time he reached Jira again, his cup was empty, and none of the visitors was who he’d hoped for. 

As the night wore on, Jira’s expression became more and more of an emotionless mask. She barely even managed a smile when the judges came around with a ribbon for her. Daniel checked his phone – still no message to explain where he was. 

Jira didn’t say anything on the ride home and ignored every single one of his attempts to draw her out. But her emotional state was most obvious when they arrived home and she suddenly crushed her model in her arms, stuffing it into the garbage bin that Daniel had pulled out for the pick-up earlier that night. He was so surprised by the action that he couldn’t even react. He wanted to scold her, or something, for destroying the project she had worked so hard on. 

But frankly, he couldn’t blame her. 

She stomped up to her room, slamming the door behind her. Daniel went and poured himself a generous shot and knocked it back before heading up himself. He tore his clothes off roughly, stuffing them into the hamper in much the same way Jira had thrown away the model, and climbed into bed. He took a glance at the clock and opened his book, determined to stay awake as late as he had to. 

He could tell Harrison was surprised, when he rounded the stairs well after midnight, to see Daniel still awake. 

“What on earth are you doing up? Book that good?”

“Where have you been?” 

“Oh!...There was a heart transplant; I got to assist, actually.”

“You’re not a transplant surgeon. You don’t want to be, so I’m not sure what the benefit was for you.”

“OK,” Harrison responded slowly, clearly confused. “It’s a rare thing, so – ”

“So’s your daughter’s first science fair. She won a ribbon.”

Harrison groaned, tilting his head back and turning away. He rubbed at his eye.

“I’m sorry.”

“Apologize to her, not to me,” Daniel told him. “You can think about what to say tomorrow morning while you try to get comfortable on the couch.”

“Daniel – ”

He closed his book and put it on the side table, turning off the lamp and scooting down onto the mattress. 

“I’m going to sleep.”

**

Daniel was exhausted and still pissed the next morning, so opted out of joining his family when Harrison offered to take Jira out for breakfast and to their favorite museum. In fact, being dragged through that museum again would probably just irritate him more, so it was a wise idea for him to stay behind. Instead he stretched out on the couch with a cup of coffee and his book and enjoyed the peace and quiet. He was halfway through chapter 12 when his phone buzzed with a text. Daniel reached out blindly, plucking his phone from the table and glanced at the screen.

_How was the science fair?_

He grinned as he replied to Liam, touched that he remembered and cared enough to ask. 

_Jira won a ribbon._

_YES!!!_

_:) What are you doing today?_ Daniel asked, searching for ways to continue the conversation. It was nice to have a little distraction. 

_Just rolled out of bed and trying to decide what to have for breakfast. Pancakes?_

Daniel ignored the sudden mental image of Liam in bed, warm, sleepy, shirtless and with messy hair, and instead glanced at the time on his phone. He snorted. _It’s more like lunch at this time. Too late to even call it brunch, lazy._

A few moments later, Liam replied with a couple expressive emojis suggesting a hangover, then added, _Friends wanted to go out last night. We closed the place down._

_Ugh, sounds terrible. I’m officially too old for that. _

There was an even longer pause, followed by a rather surprising message. _Nonsense. Come out with us sometime. You can get hit on and break all their hearts ;)_

Daniel cleared his throat, and read the message again to see if it really said what he thought it did. He wondered what exactly Liam meant by it. He read his own messages again, trying to figure out how they got where they were. Had he been overly suggestive? Was he…He should reply. It was probably weird that he hadn’t replied yet. He was making this more complicated than it needed to be. He’d just send something simple, tame, innocent.

_If I were out with you, no one would look twice at me._

Not that. Jesus. 

Daniel ran a hand across his face and breathed out roughly. This had officially spiraled out of control. When his phone rang again, he was almost afraid to read the text. At least that’s what he told himself was the reason why his heart rate sped up even more. He looked at the screen, breathing out in relief at the rather innocuous _That’s sweet, thanks_.

He stared at the phone for a little while, swallowing thickly as he read Liam’s text again. He shook his head quickly, sent back a _See you Monday_ to shut down the conversation, and immediately went through his contacts to find Elizabeth.

_Are you free? Coffee?_

He was still a little jittery when they met up at the Starbucks halfway between their places, though, so he went with decaf. He scratched at the cup, avoiding Elizabeth’s eyes as he struggled to find a way to raise his concern. 

“What is it?” she finally asked. 

“There’s this guy at work,” Daniel blurted. 

“Uh oh,” she replied. 

“No.” He closed his eyes and shook his head. He leaned forward to rest on his elbow, even as he ran a hand through his hair. “No, it’s not like that, not really.”

“Have you…?”

“_No_. It’s just…I’ve started to notice that whenever I’m pissed at Harrison, I flirt with – this guy. And I don’t know if it’s a revenge thing or a giving myself permission thing or the grass is greener or whatever but…I don’t know. I don’t know. I went too far this morning and it’s not fair, to either of them, really, and I feel bad. I don’t even – I love Harrison. I love Harrison. I don’t know how to stop. I don’t know if I want to stop.”

“OK, wow. You’re rambling. Take a breath.”

Daniel inhaled deeply, looking to the side as he blinked away tears. 

“First, I know you love Harrison. That’s been obvious to me since I first met you. You’re devoted to him and to Jira, maybe too much, which is probably part of the problem, because God help him, he’s not perfect.”

“That doesn’t mean I should just – ”

“_Second_, good grief, Daniel, you’ve been with him for almost 20 years now. Are you telling me you never looked at anyone else ever, in all that time?”

“_Looked_ at, sure. This – feels different.”

“You haven’t slept with him. You haven’t kissed him.”

“So it’s all fine then? I shouldn’t feel guilty about anything. Don’t know if Harrison would agree with that.”

Elizabeth growled, reaching out to cover his hand with her own. “I don’t know what to tell you, Daniel. You’re human, so you’re not perfect either. But you just have to figure out where the lines are and stick to them. You’re the only one who can do that.”

He breathed in and out and stared at her. “Only you can prevent forest fires?” he joked.

“Something like that.” 

They split up shortly after that, with one more supportive kiss to the cheek from Elizabeth. When Daniel arrived home, Harrison was there, but there was no sign of Jira. Daniel and Harrison made cautious eye contact as Daniel dropped his keys into the bowl blindly. 

“Where is she?” he wondered. 

“Riley’s.”

Daniel nodded. “How are things between you two?”

“Good,” Harrison confirmed, standing up and walking over to Daniel. As he got closer, Daniel refused to back away. He felt his breathing get faster and shallower as Harrison stepped into his personal space. Harrison’s palm almost burned when he placed it on Daniel’s hip. “How are things between us?” he murmured. 

Daniel hesitated. His heart _hurt_, and he didn’t want to think about any of this anymore. But he didn’t want to avoid it all, either. He closed his eyes and swallowed. “You need to be here,” he practically whispered, voice cracking. “You need to _be_ here. And I need you to want that as much as I do.”

“Nowhere else I’d rather be,” Harrison told him, bringing his other hand around to grip Daniel’s arm. 

“Actions and words, Harrison.” 

“Give me a chance to prove it?”

After a beat, Daniel nodded, and Harrison pulled him into an actual hug. Daniel wrapped his arms around his husband, sighing in relief at the comforting, familiar feeling of his embrace. It was the only place he wanted to be, and Harrison made no move to break away either. In fact, they held each other until Harrison yawned uncontrollably, breaking the moment and making them both laugh as they separated. 

“Didn’t get a lot of sleep last night,” Harrison pointed out.

“Me neither,” Daniel confessed. “I was angry, but I missed you.”

“Nap time?”

Daniel laughed, taking Harrison’s offered hand and allowing himself to be dragged upstairs to their bedroom. They crawled onto the mattress, fully clothed although they didn’t stay that way long. They did fall asleep eventually – after they completely tired themselves out. 

On Monday, Daniel reminded himself that if he expected Harrison to make the effort and prove to him that he was fully committed to their marriage and family, then he’d do the same. Even if Harrison didn’t really know about it. So, he took his turn getting coffee but he didn’t linger in Liam’s room, ignoring both the shy smile in greeting and the way it faltered when Daniel turned to leave after minimal conversation. 

And Harrison proved it by never staying late unless he absolutely had to, and by engaging more with Jira’s homework and not just her bio class either, and by blowing Daniel’s mind and other parts of him in bed on a regular basis. He finally took them to Florida for spring break, as well. Indeed, the next several weeks after the science fair had been some of the happiest Daniel could remember in a long time. He had even started to plan an anniversary trip for just the two of them. 

He was smiling all the time. He even smiled at the routine sensation of Harrison crawling into bed as carefully as he could.

“Time is it?” Daniel wondered, as he so often did, as if it were from some sort of script of disgusting domesticity. 

“2:30, go to sleep,” Harrison replied with his own part. 

Daniel sighed, a moaning whine hidden in the exhalation. “Thought…1,” he said, knowing Harrison would understand his half-asleep shorthand. 

“Rough shift, went for a drink.” Harrison’s tone was off, but Daniel was too tired to figure out why. Maybe a patient had died. 

“Sorry,” he mumbled. 

After a long pause, during which Daniel nearly fell asleep again, Harrison spoke again. “It’s not your fault,” he said. “Go to sleep.” 

Whatever had been bothering Harrison seemed to have passed by the morning, or else Daniel was too busy packing up his school files and hurrying Jira out the door to pay enough attention. He could only nod in acceptance when Harrison said he’d probably have to stay late more often for a while. Daniel knew it was bound to happen sometimes, but he was glad that Harrison at least tried so hard to minimize it these days.

**

“Have a great time in India.”

“I’m sure I will. What about you? Any exciting plans?”

“Nah,” Daniel replied, shrugging and looking to the side as he put his sunglasses on. “Nothing much. The house needs some work.”

Liam fought against a smile at the thought of Daniel trying to fix something – and against a blush at the sudden and inappropriate fantasy involving Daniel, low-riding jeans, a tool belt and not much else. “Going to do that yourself or hire buff young guys to do it?”

“Oh, buff young guys, obviously.” Daniel shot him an impish wink.

Liam laughed outright, shaking his head. 

“Anyway, I better get going. Jira’s waiting for me.”

Liam nodded, but neither of them made an effort to walk away just yet. Things turned just a bit awkward. Holding eye contact, Daniel flashed him a quick smile, then stepped in for a hug. Liam told himself not to hold his breath at the embrace, but he couldn’t stop himself in the end, drawing it in sharply when Daniel pecked his cheek so quickly he wondered if he imagined it.


	5. Chapter 5

“Are you excited for your first day of school?”

Jira nodded, not looking up at either of her fathers in favor of focusing on her breakfast. Truthfully, she was a little nervous moving up to the high school. She had an advantage over her peers, of course, because she actually knew the building and some of the teachers. But things were _real_ now, with her grades mattering so much more. Plus, although many of her classmates _knew_ her dad was a teacher, they now would have classes with him and…whatever, it just seemed like a situation ripe for all sorts of hassle. 

“What classes do you have?”

“Bio first period!” she said excitedly, reaching out to high-five the hand her dad put out in response. “Social studies, Spanish, study hall, then after lunch, history, math and finishing up the day with English with Mr. Bhatt.”

“_Oh_, Mr. Bhatt,” her dad said, almost sing-song. 

“What?”

“Do you still have a crush on him?”

“Ew!” Jira exclaimed. “No, and I never did.”

“OK.”

“I didn’t.” 

“Why not? Your dad does.”

Jira shifted her gaze from one father to the other, feeling suddenly uncomfortable. It had started off as a joke, and her dad still phrased it like one, but she couldn’t help but notice the underlying…something in his tone of voice. Her other dad rolled his eyes, then finished his coffee, tilting his head back to get the last drops. He put the mug in the sink, then faced them both again.

“Let’s go,” he said to her. 

Jira picked up her plate, walking closer to him so she could rinse it off and put it in the sink next to his cup. Then, she walked out of the room, ignoring her dad muttering about how both of them knew that the dishwasher was _right there_. She stopped just around the corner, peeking back around so she could…spy, basically. 

Her dad had moved closer to where her other dad was still sitting, and he leaned over to place his hands on either side of him. They were looking at each other, and her dad shook his head, smiling in an exasperated sort of way. Her other dad grabbed hold of his tie, pulling him down for a kiss. Jira smiled and turned away, soon after running up the stairs for her backpack.

She couldn’t quite forget the conversation, though, and she felt awkward when they ran into Mr. Bhatt on the stairs leading into the high school. Her dad grinned at him, and Mr. Bhatt seemed kind of breathless, and neither one of them acknowledged her for almost a full minute.

When Mr. Bhatt did turn to her, greeting her as Miss Jira as always, she had to force a quite sickly smile in response. She knew she was imaging things or reading too much into her dad’s joke or something, but it still dampened her excitement for the first day of school.

**

“Have you thought about…therapy for your daughter?”

Daniel nearly spit out his coffee at the question, spluttering half in laughter and half in offense. “What?”

Liam glanced at him, before facing forward and opening the cupboard. He pulled out a coffee mug and walked closer to where Daniel stood by the freshly brewed pot. Daniel picked it up and filled the cup as he waited for a response. 

“Assignment was to write a biography. Jira wrote a biography of a tumor. A tumor.”

Daniel licked his lips, then swallowed. He searched for a response, even as he fought the urge to laugh. 

“Sounds like your instructions weren’t specific enough.”

“A _tumor_.”

“She’s into science and doesn’t…really…_get_ other subjects, what can I say? Blame Harrison, not me.”

“She has bio first period, not last.”

“Was it a good paper?”

“It was fantastic, damn it.”

Daniel shrugged, then took a sip of his coffee to hide his smile behind his mug. 

Liam walked away, stopping at the door and turning to face him. “I’ll get her to like lit if it’s the last thing I do,” he vowed.

Daniel nodded, mostly to humor him as he didn’t have much hope that Liam would succeed where Daniel himself had failed most of Jira’s life. He waited until Liam left, then turned to top off his mug.

**

As soon as the Barretts left, Liam let his smile drop. Ugh, what a family. He glanced at his watch – halfway through the parent-teacher conferences. Time for a break. He hurried out of his room before another student’s parents could enter. He _could_ go to the lobby where the refreshments had been set up. He _should_ hit the bathroom. All he really wanted to do was see how Daniel was doing. So, that’s where he headed.

Daniel was seated at his desk, leaning back and looking fairly relaxed. No one was sitting across from him. Perfect timing. 

“Have you met Angelica Barrett’s parents?” he asked, as he strolled into the room. “Apple doesn’t fall too far from that – oh, hi.”

Harrison was in the corner, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Liam couldn’t help but feel like he interrupted something. Like he didn’t belong there. And really, he didn’t. 

Daniel greeted him, and Harrison nodded. Liam forced a smile in response. He wondered if there actually was tension in the room or if it was just his imagination. 

“I was going for a cup of the punch,” he finally said. “Want anything?”

With a smile and shake of his head, Daniel declined. Liam turned to Harrison, who also shook his head. Liam nodded, somewhat awkwardly, and left the room. As soon as he cleared the door, he ran a hand down his face and sighed. 

As uncomfortable as the exchange had been, it did not compare at all to the moment, two meetings later, when Harrison walked into his room. It hadn’t even really occurred to Liam that Harrison would meet with Jira’s teachers. First, because he’d heard more than one pointed statement that made him suspect Harrison was rarely available enough to attend that sort of thing. Second, because Daniel could ask his colleagues about his daughter’s performance at any time. 

Or maybe he hadn’t wanted to think about it, because the thought of speaking with Harrison alone was rather daunting. As Harrison sat in the chair opposite him, Liam looked down to sort through his notes and gradebook, as if he needed to remind himself how Jira did in his class.

It felt like there was a giant neon sign above him, proclaiming how often he indulged in elaborate fantasies about the guy’s husband.

**

Daniel groaned in exhaustion, tilting his head to the side to try to relieve the kink in his neck. He slowly pulled his tie undone and unhooked the top buttons of his collar. But it wasn’t until he felt Harrison behind him that he opened his eyes. He stared ahead, making eye contact through the mirror, and smiled.

Harrison stepped closer still, pressing his growing arousal into Daniel and making him raise his eyebrow in mock intrigue. Harrison leaned forward, kissing Daniel’s neck even as he reached both hands down to Daniel’s cuff. He began to unhook the button, and Daniel let him, smiling at all their little habits. 

“You look hot in that tux,” Harrison murmured. “All the guys at that gala were jealous of me.”

Daniel snorted skeptically. 

“I’m one lucky man,” Harrison continued. 

“You are,” Daniel agreed, his attempt at solemn sincerity broken by his smirk. 

Harrison stepped back just enough to give room for Daniel to turn around in his arms. He hooked them low, just above Daniel’s ass, and Daniel wrapped his own arms around Harrison. They met in the middle for a lazy kiss.

**

“Move, move, move,” Daniel hurried the last of the students inside.

He was on door duty that morning, his least favorite service activity especially just after the holiday break when it was freezing outside and no one actually wanted to be back at school, including him. But now all the students were inside and he could enter too. His first stop would absolutely be the lounge for a cup of coffee to warm himself up.

Just as he was about to turn away, a car pulled up to the sidewalk. Daniel waited curiously, wondering which student he’d have to pointedly glare at as they ran inside late. But in the end, he was surprised to see Liam climb out of the passenger seat. When he hadn’t seen him come in earlier that morning, he’d just assumed that Liam was sick or perhaps had been there very early. It hadn’t even occurred to him that he’d be very late instead. 

And his surprise just grew when Liam stopped by the driver’s side door and leaned down. The window opened, revealing a young and absurdly attractive Indian man. A family member, Daniel assumed or maybe hoped, but soon he realized that wasn’t true. No one would kiss a family member like that. He looked away to give them privacy or something. At the sound of the car pulling away, he faced Liam again, forcing a curiously teasing expression to his face as Liam walked up the steps. 

“Don’t start,” Liam said. 

“Have a good break?” 

Liam shook his head as if he were scolding Daniel. “I’ll go make sure those vultures left some caffeine for the rest of us,” was his only reply. 

Daniel nodded, looking at his feet as Liam walked into the building. A few moments later, he finally pushed off the railing and followed Liam inside. Coffee would be good.

**

Daniel tilted his head back, enjoying the feel of the sun on his face. It was finally warm enough to leave his jacket off, in the afternoons at least, and soon he wouldn’t need one at all. And then summer and freedom. No more staying late for hours grading and prepping because he had to spend his free hour meeting with the principal and parents who just couldn’t understand why their precious genius child was failing just because they never handed in their assignments. To name just one reason why it had been a long damn day. But Jira was spending the night at Riley’s and Harrison wouldn’t be off until midnight, so Daniel was going to pick something up for dinner, drink a lot of wine, and celebrate the fact that it was Friday and he got everything done for Monday so he didn’t _have to_ do any work that weekend.

“What are you still doing here?” 

Daniel nearly jumped out of his skin. Liam was walking up the stairs, and there were students moving around between a bus parked nearby and several cars’ worth of waiting parents. 

“Catching up. You?”

“Forensics tournament.”

Daniel nodded, suddenly remembering Liam mentioning the final match earlier that week. He enjoyed coaching it, but enjoyed the prospect of the season being over even more. And, Daniel noted with some alarm, several students were also excited about that prospect. He darted to the side, but not fast enough to warn Liam, who was suddenly drenched. Where they had found the water cooler used at football games, Daniel had no idea. 

They ran away, shrieking with laughter. Daniel was too shocked to even note who it was so they could be properly punished. 

Shocked. That’s what he’d go with. It was the most obvious explanation for why he couldn’t do anything but stare at Liam. 

He made it home eventually, but he skipped stopping at a restaurant and he delayed the wine. Instead he decided to take advantage of the alone time to engage in some other forms of stress relief. Lying on top of the sheets, Daniel stretched out on the bed and closed his eyes. He skimmed his fingers down his chest and ultimately to his erection, which had been half-hard since <strike>seeing Liam earlier</strike> he got home. 

The light teasing didn’t last long; Daniel was too keyed up. He unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, pushing them down dangerously fast, and took hold of himself. He stroked roughly and inelegantly, images appearing in his mind as he pleasured himself. He drew the memory out, focusing on little details, even as he knew he should push them away and pretend this was all just some sort of generic arousal. Curling wet hair, dripping water into eyes flashing with shock. Droplets beading on brown skin. Daniel groaned, turning into the mattress and pressing his face into the pillow. White button-down shirt, see-through and clinging. 

“Fuck,” he muttered, resisting the urge to come, wanting to make it last just a bit longer.

“Mind if I join you?”

He nearly flailed off the bed at the interruption, flipping back around and staring at Harrison with wide eyes. 

“What are you – what – ?” he gasped out.

“Work was slow,” Harrison explained, even as he began to strip off his clothes. “Morris said he’d cover for me. Really happy about that now.”

Before Daniel even knew what was happening, Harrison was on top of him, lining them up and beginning to rock. They rubbed against each other, and Daniel was too far gone to try for anything more complicated, and his brain was still far too focused on other things…other people…having not yet got the message that this was real now rather than fantasy. He squeezed his eyes shut and he latched his mouth over Harrison’s shoulder, muffling his cries as he came out of fear that he’d shout the wrong name.

**

Liam stared up through the darkness at his ceiling. He was alone in bed for the first time in weeks, and sleep was not coming at all. He had gotten used to having Vijay beside him, used to the sound of his breathing and the weight of his arm across Liam’s waist. It had been…nice. And now it was over.

That evening, Vijay had told him he loved him. Liam probably should have just said the words back. He liked him, could maybe fall in love with him someday. But his hesitation had been telling enough, and his weak attempts to salvage the situation had only made it worse. 

Why couldn’t he say it? Why couldn’t he feel it? 

Rhetorical question. He knew why. Even now, he was more bothered by the fact that he couldn’t remember the last time he really talked with Daniel than by the fact that he’d been dumped only a few hours ago. It had been at least since the forensics meet, he was pretty sure. If Liam didn’t know better, he would have sworn that Daniel had been avoiding him. And now, it was spring break, and he wouldn’t even see him for another week. 

Liam sighed loudly. Why couldn’t he have just said it?

**

Liam didn’t know if Jira or Daniel were happier that the year was over. They were both chattering excitedly about their plans as they walked down the front steps of the school. Jira practically jumped down them. Liam had to smile at their attitudes. Daniel was one of the more dedicated teachers Liam had ever met, but he certainly loved the breaks. His family was his priority, and spending time with them far outranked any work obligation.

For Liam, as always, the end of the year was bittersweet, not least because he’d be separated from Daniel for so long. It felt like they were in some kind of time loop. Each year seemed to speed by faster than the last. It felt like they had _just_ welcomed Jira to the school with them. 

Quite meanly, he wished she was anywhere else at the moment, though. It was a bit awkward trying to figure out how to say goodbye with her there – and Liam suspected they wouldn’t linger with each other this year like so many times before. They all stopped at the sidewalk, and Liam knew he should just wish them a good summer and walk away. He took some comfort in the fact that Daniel also seemed uncomfortable, like he was not sure how to handle things either. They _looked_ at each other, the silence feeling strangely intense. 

“Dad,” Jira said, breaking the moment. 

Liam smiled quickly, swallowing back bile from his suddenly upset stomach. “Have a good summer,” he managed to say.

Daniel inhaled deeply, nodded once, flashed him a quick smile, and turned away. “Come on, let’s go home. Time to go home.”

His tone was weird, like there was some significance to the statement that Liam was unaware of, like Daniel had made some kind of decision or was reminding himself of something. Liam couldn’t explain what it was exactly, just that something was off. 

He watched them walk away for a few steps before turning and heading his own way. He sighed. Bittersweet is definitely how he’d describe this time of year, and perhaps more bitter than sweet this time around. Every year, their goodbye was tough and felt unfinished somehow, like there were so many things roiling under the surface and becoming harder to ignore. This year was the worst yet.


	6. Chapter 6

Through circumstance or coincidence or something, Liam didn’t even see Daniel until the third day of class. By the time the faculty meeting rolled around at the end of the day, he was so anxious for a glimpse of him, he was practically crawling out of his skin. Knowing he was in the building and yet not getting to spend any time with him had been torture. Those three days seemed to last longer than the previous few months of summer break. 

Needless to say, his perennial vow to get over his crush had been broken early that school year. 

Daniel zoomed into the room just as the principal was beginning to speak, dropping into the seat next to him that Liam had managed to keep unoccupied through sheer force of hope, not to mention standoffishness and the occasional, subtle glare. Daniel turned to face him, flashing a smile. 

“Good summer?” he asked in a near whisper. 

Liam nodded, unable to find his voice. He was also unable to pay particularly close attention to the meeting, as he was far too distracted by the body heat radiating off Daniel and the way his sleeve would occasionally brush against Liam’s own. 

At the close of the meeting, they both stood, allowing the rush of their colleagues to move them towards the door. Just before they exited, though, they seemed to wordlessly agree to step to the side. The others passed, jostling them both and making them stumble closer to each other. Liam didn’t back away and he tried not to read too much into the fact that Daniel didn’t either. He kept his eyes cast down, almost afraid to look any higher – or lower – than Daniel’s stomach, and he just sort of…breathed him in. 

“I missed you,” he blurted once they were alone in the staff lounge, aiming for a friendly tone and not entirely succeeding. 

“Me too,” Daniel replied. His voice was gravelly, and Liam wanted that to mean something – anything. 

It looked like it was going to be another long, frustrating, heartbreaking year of wanting someone and something he could never have.

**

“You don’t seem very surprised,” Jira observed from where she rested her head on Daniel’s chest.

“I’m not, not really.”

“_Their_ parents were. Upset too. It’s been pretty rough, I guess.”

“Well,” Daniel began, hesitating as he chose his words carefully. He adjusted his position slightly, shifting Jira so her head wasn’t digging directly into his clavicle. “Not all parents can…easily accept things like this. It involves changing your whole perspective…your hopes and expectations. It’s hard enough admitting your child is growing up, after all.”

Jira was silent for a moment. “You would accept it. You would never…reject me. For any reason.”

“No, I wouldn’t,” Daniel confirmed. He turned his head to kiss the top of hers. “Because I know how it feels.”

“Do you…” she began, before trailing off. Daniel nodded to indicate she could continue. “Miss them?”

“Every day. Every single day.”

“Even though they treated you like they did?”

Daniel inhaled slowly through his nose before nodding again. “Yep. I’ve tried many times over the years to forgive them. Thought about maybe even contacting them. But I know that I could only have a real relationship with them if I… You and your dad are my family. I chose the hope of you, before I even met him. And I don’t regret it for a minute.”

Jira snuggled against him closer, and Daniel could sense her smile. He returned to the topic that got them on the subject in the first place. 

“So, Riley’s parents might have trouble, or they might work it out. Too early to say. All you can do is be there for them.”

**

“You’re kidding.”

“No,” Harrison replied, laughing.

Daniel continued to stare at his husband, not quite believing him. He blinked once, slowly, then shook his head. “You’re _kidding_,” he repeated.

“I promise you I am not kidding.”

“Both of them?”

“Both of them!”

Daniel slapped his hand on the table as he stood up. He stepped over to Harrison, placed both hands on his cheeks, and pulled him into a quick, hard kiss. Harrison snickered against his lips. Perhaps Daniel’s reaction was over the top, but he wasn’t going to apologize for it. For just one year, he didn’t have to compromise.

So, on Christmas Eve, he ignored Harrison’s whispered questions about whether they really all had to pretend anymore, as they waited for Jira to go to sleep. Once she did, he stopped teasing and helped Daniel pull the gifts out of their hiding spaces. It didn’t take them that long – Jira was at an age where she wanted quality over quantity, and they had only a few presents for each other as well. Then, they stretched out on the couch, all lights off except for the colorful ones glowing on the tree. Daniel closed his eyes, humming in contentment as he leaned back against Harrison’s chest. 

“Wish I had some mistletoe,” Harrison murmured into his ear.

Daniel chuckled, not bothering to open his eyes. “Do you really think you need it?” he wondered rhetorically, before twisting around to kiss his husband. 

And on New Year’s Eve, all three of them managed to make it all the way to midnight. Jira cheered as the ball dropped, too focused (perhaps deliberately so) on the TV to see them kissing on the couch behind her. Daniel had intended just a quick peck, but Harrison would have none of that and nearly pushed him completely onto his back before he let him go. Daniel laughed but sobered quickly as he looked up at Harrison.

“Love you,” he whispered. 

“Love you, too.”

Daniel sat up then, Harrison backing away enough to let him. Daniel didn’t let him go far, though, and he embraced him as soon as he was upright. 

“I think this will be a good year,” he predicted softly. “What’s the saying? Begin as you mean to go on?”

Harrison replied with a quiet _mm-hmm_, running his fingers up and down Daniel’s back. 

“Aren’t you two done yet?” Jira asked pointedly. 

Both Daniel and Harrison laughed at her disgust. They separated only to launch themselves off the couch and at her. They pulled her into a group hug, dropping kisses on her face and head despite her protests.

**

“Morning,” Liam said in greeting as he walked into Daniel’s classroom. He held up one of the coffee mugs in a sort of wave.

Daniel was distributing papers onto the desks and looked up at the interruption. He exhaled in apparent relief. “I’m so glad to see you.”

Liam fought a thrill at that, knowing that Daniel didn’t mean it in the same way Liam hoped he did. “Because I have coffee?” he guessed. 

“Well…that’s most of it, yeah,” Daniel confirmed, laughing. He stepped closer and took the offered mug. After swallowing a large sip, he explained, “No milk at home, so this is my first cup of the day.”

“That seems to be a common occurrence,” Liam observed, leaning back against the wall and drinking from his own cup. 

“It is,” Daniel agreed. “They’re like children about it too, always putting the carton back in the fridge with, like, four drops left.”

Liam smiled, bending his head to look at the floor. 

“Major pet peeve,” Daniel continued. “But at least I’m making Harrison pick more up today instead of doing it myself.”

“Gotta put your foot down,” Liam joked, to hide his petty bitterness over the fact that Daniel smiled when talking about Harrison even when the topic was how he annoyed him. 

“Exactly,” Daniel agreed, nodding once in resolution. 

Liam sighed, stretching out his arm to check the watch on his wrist. “I suppose,” he said. 

“Another day.”

Neither one of them said anything else, but Liam took yet another moment to look at him before pushing off the wall and heading out.

**

Liam clicked on the TV before turning away. He pulled out a tie, walked over to his mirror and began tying it. He only half-paid attention to the morning news as he mentally planned his day. So, the first time the name was mentioned, he didn’t even hear it, at least not consciously. Something must have seeped in, though, triggering his awareness. Liam eventually stopped messing about with the tie, feeling his heart rate increase and his breathing turn shallow as he turned to focus on the TV. Absent-mindedly, he reached out for the remote and turned the volume up.

He listened to maybe three minutes of the newscast before rushing to the bathroom. He retched, barely getting the seat cover out of the way before he was vomiting into the toilet. There were tears too, loud and gasping. Eventually, though, there was nothing more inside him, and he flopped to the side. Liam slid his feet up, hooking his arms around his legs and burying his face between his knees. 

All those years…all those years he had hoped, in the deepest, darkest parts of his heart, that they would break up. That Harrison would be out of the picture. He couldn’t help but feel just a little bit responsible. Daniel was, if nothing else, his friend; how could he have wished this upon him? 

A few days later, at the memorial, he still didn’t have an answer and he had no idea what he should or could say to Daniel. In the end, he didn’t say anything. He wasn’t sure that Daniel even noticed he was there. Jira and Daniel stood in a corner, looking grim and devastated as they accepted platitudes from other guests. Frankly, Liam couldn’t add to that. 

So, he left without any contact at all. It was another two days before he finally sent Daniel a text. _Thinking of you_, he wrote. _You don’t have to reply, but let me know if you need anything._

He checked his phone repeatedly, but Daniel didn’t reply for hours. Even then, all he wrote was _Thanks._

Liam didn’t hear from him again for the whole summer, which he couldn’t really say surprised him. Before he knew it and definitely before he was ready, it was the first day of school again. Unless there were some unforeseen complications, he knew Daniel and Jira would be back today. And so, for the first time in months, he poured two cups of coffee, one black and one brown and just a bit sweet. The routine was calming in a way, and he felt ready to face him. Almost. 

Every year around this time, he told himself that he wasn’t going to be sucked back into obsessing over Daniel. He knew there was no way he could avoid it this year; Daniel would need support and compassion and someone to look out for him. But this year, Liam promised himself and meant it, he really would _just_ be the friend Daniel needed. Nothing more. 

He left the teacher’s lounge, stepping around students as he made his way down the hall. He spotted Jira coming towards him, her head down. With a quick, sad smile, Liam corrected himself – this year, he’d be there for Daniel _and_ his daughter as best as he could as often as they needed him to be.

“Hey Miss Jira,” he said as soon as they were close enough to each other. “You and I gonna have fun this year?”


End file.
